“After travelling and then moving to South East Asia, I noticed weavers had a passion for teaching others about their culture. They eagerly answered questions, displayed their work with pride and were happy to see that other people had an interest in their art. Upon further research, I learned that fewer girls were being taught at an early age how to use a loom because of modernization and reduced demand for traditional weaves. Some of the women were forced to choose different occupations altogether, so that they could provide for their families, even though they really wanted to continue weaving, instead.”

While the ethnic minority poverty rate in Vietnam has begun to decrease over the past few years, there’s still a high average of approximately 49% in poverty. Over 6,357,451 people from ethnic communities lack education and decent living conditions.

That’s when Ratte decided to create Wild Tussah. Every bag you buy helps create jobs for local weavers, provides their families with support and contributes towards protecting ancient cultures. Those who are globally conscious and want to make a difference can check out https://wildtussah.com.

The Artisans & Sustainable Handbags

Artisan villages they work with consist of remote groups of people who live in the South Central Coast Region of Ninh Thuan Province and in the northern mountains of Vietnam. The artisans' stories fuel Wild Tussah’s inspiration and motivation behind the handbag designs.

The rare handmade vintage weaves that are incorporated in the form of The Day to Night black leather handbag, are from Lu people. The Lu are known for their dyed black teeth, their remote villages and for both weaving and embroidering their elegant textiles. Many of the weaves that are used in the bags can take up to 3-6 months to make, and require the skill of a highly accomplished artisan.

Another ethnic community Wild Tussah is partnered with is Cham people. Their traditional handmade textiles are incorporate in the colorful Cham leather totes. After visiting a local village this past September, Ratte found out that their language is on the verge of extinction. “Our Cham tour guide learned at university that in 20 years his language could be completely extinct. That’s when he decided he had to start teaching Cham to anyone who wanted to learn and to continue to fight to bring his native language back into local school systems.” Culture preservation is a large problem, but there are many simple ways individual people can help.

Join Wild Tussah on their journey to creating ethical, high quality, transparently produced products. https://wildtussah.com